Epilogue

1/6/1996

There are two things about our story that we feel compelled to mention. If we did not mention these things, then on the surface this novel could be somewhat misleading.

It was our aim in this story to paint a picture. We wanted to “whet your appetite” by giving you a taste of what the Holy Journey toward Christianity was supposed to be like. And can be like — and will be like again.

We also wanted you to see, and to feel, that it is worth it! We don’t need to live like Esau — satisfied with a measly bowl of stew — when we’ve been promised the Blessings of living in the New Covenant. We wanted to inspire your faith and urge you to GO FOR IT!

But in the process of telling this story, we had to take some poetic license.

First: The spiritual growth of the main characters.

In our experience, the quality and depth of growth depicted in this story does not usually happen this fast. The last chapter of Galatians teaches that in order to reap a harvest of spiritual life, we must sow bountifully to please the Spirit.

Unless our God were to stretch out his hand and speed up the process (which He has done before and could do again), the growth depicted in this book would need to come the “hard way”: through time, fire, equipping, and planting lots and lots of good seeds. But to depict all of that would take another seven thousand pages. And while the Wisdom from Heaven that certain characters seem to instantly possess usually comes the hard way (over some time, with “constant use,” “equipping,” pain, prayer and experience)…the lifestyle of consecration to Jesus should happen immediately. This is a product of true conversion (Acts 2:36-47) when proper, gifted leadership is available to help “compact” (Ephesians 4:11-16 KJV). This brings us to our next point.

Second: the necessity for gifted leadership.

The quality of relationships depicted between the main characters of our story is almost extinct today. And the level depicted is far short of what God is really after. We have portrayed a group of sincere, devoted disciples who are just starting down the road of learning how to be a family, with Jesus as their King.

It would be unfair to whet your appetite for the life of God’s Church without telling you that what we have described is not enough! Sincerity, courage, commitment, and even true regeneracy (though rare) is not enough for the body of Christ to be “joined and knitted together by every supporting ligament” as Ephesians four says we can be.

These kinds of close, light-walking, fun, free, deep, committed, satan-threatening, Jesus-centered relationships only come about when there is true, heaven-sent leadership to establish them! And believe me, we are not speaking of clergy when we say leadership! The idea of a “leader” with a title of “the Pastor” or “the Minister” or “Reverend” or “Father” or even “Brother so-and-so” is not only foreign to the New Testament — it is forbidden by Jesus Himself! We speak of an organic (“in the midst,” “among”) gifting from Heaven, that God bestows amongst the Saints — not an “official” anything! That would be unbiblical and obviously far less fruitful than God’s plan about where leadership comes from.

The same section in Ephesians chapter four that talks about the maturity and depth of relationship possible in the Body of Christ, also mentions the tools necessary to reach those ends: Gifted leadership. Without gifted leadership, we will continue to be “tossed to and fro” and we will never fully experience true “joined and knittedness.”

So please don’t treat this as just a “story.” Instead, join together with us in crying out to the Lord of the harvest for Heaven-sent workers (as Jesus asked us to do in Luke 10). We need them desperately. Join with us and others in every country that desire love-obedience to Jesus in our everyday lives and relationships. This is not about “a different way to have church”. This is about a radical call to allow Jesus to rule and reign over every person, every home, every Church, every gathering…every moment. And it’s a call for all of us to take responsibility as a “Kingdom of priests” to wrestle to help everyone else do that too! (Gal 4:19, etc.)

In the meantime — even though the gifts that the Body of Christ needs to fulfill her destiny may not be fully in place — Please, Please, Please, Please, Please — never settle for less!

King David found out that God was not going to allow him to “build” the House of God (the Temple). Instead, he could only gather the materials for construction. The task of “building” would fall to his descendants. Nevertheless, he remained faithful and never lowered the Standard by pretending the Temple wasn’t important anyway. God’s House and Work remained precious to him — despite the Sovereign limitations. He was, as he said himself, content to be a “doorkeeper” in God’s House. God’s House and God’s Presence were everything to him — as they were to Jesus. How about you?

May you continue to look to Jesus, the Starter and Finisher of our faith.